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Lessons from the Thirtymile Fire

This training program provides a chronological overview of the key events and fire behavior on the Thirtymile Fire, emphasizing the importance of avoiding entrapment and the concepts demonstrated in current fire shelter training aids.

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Lessons from the Thirtymile Fire

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  1. Lessons from theThirtymile Fire • User Note: If you open links within this program, use the following options to return to your previous PowerPoint slide: • Try first to use the browser BACK button or the keyboard BACKSPACE key • If that option is not available, click the ‘X’ in the top right corner of your web browser window to close it. 0251-2C02-MTDC USDA Forest Service Missoula Technology & Development Center Table of Contents

  2. Overview This training is based on the events of the Thirtymile Fire. You will get more out of this training if you read the Thirtymile Fire Investigation Report before the training. This program can be used as self-paced training for individuals or as instructor-facilitated group training. USDA Forest Service Missoula Technology & Development Center

  3. Objectives 1. Provide a chronological overview of the key events and fire behavior on the Thirtymile Fire that led to the entrapment of 14 firefighters and 2 civilians and to the deaths of 4 of the firefighters. USDA Forest Service Missoula Technology & Development Center

  4. Objectives 2. The trainees will create a list of pivotal events and contributing factors on the Thirtymile Fire: • Before entrapment • After entrapment but before deployment • During deployment USDA Forest Service Missoula Technology & Development Center

  5. Objectives 3. Emphasize the importance of avoiding entrapment. Define the actions firefighters should take if they become entrapped. USDA Forest Service Missoula Technology & Development Center

  6. Objectives 4. Emphasize the concepts demonstrated in current fire shelter training aids. Address the critical importance of leadership during entrapment and deployment. USDA Forest Service Missoula Technology & Development Center

  7. Introduction • Many direct and indirect influences led to the entrapment and fatalities on the Thirtymile Fire. • This program focuses only on the key events before and during the entrapment and fire shelter deployment. USDA Forest Service Missoula Technology & Development Center

  8. BEFOREENTRAPMENT USDA Forest Service Missoula Technology & Development Center

  9. Before Entrapment • On July 10, 2001, 14 firefighters and 2 civilians were entrapped by the Thirtymile Fire in Washington State. • Four firefighters were asphyxiated during fire shelter deployment. USDA Forest Service Missoula Technology & Development Center

  10. Maps of northern Washington and the Thirtymile Fire location. USDA Forest Service Missoula Technology & Development Center

  11. Map of Washington and the Thirtymile Fire location. USDA Forest Service Missoula Technology & Development Center

  12. Map of northern Washington and the Thirtymile Fire location. USDA Forest Service Missoula Technology & Development Center

  13. Map of the Thirtymile Fire location. USDA Forest Service Missoula Technology & Development Center

  14. Before Entrapment • Conditions when the fire started: • The Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest was experiencing prolonged drought • Fuel moisture levels were at or approaching historic lows • 1,000-hour fuel moisture was 10% • Live fuel moisture was less than 100% • The energy release component (ERC) was near the historic high for early July USDA Forest Service Missoula Technology & Development Center

  15. Before Entrapment • The fire started next to the Chewuch River in the bottom of a narrow, V-shaped canyon. • Fuels in the riparian area where the fire started were mostly spruce, alder, and aspen. • A mix of fir, lodgepole pine, and ponderosa pine was present in the drier surrounding area. USDA Forest Service Missoula Technology & Development Center

  16. Aerial view of the Chewuch River near the origin of the Thirtymile Fire, looking upcanyon. USDA Forest Service Missoula Technology & Development Center

  17. Aerial view of the Chewuch River with the fire's origin in the lower right of the photo. USDA Forest Service Missoula Technology & Development Center

  18. Before Entrapment • Chronology: July 9 • 2126: Fire was reported by Canadian Bird Dog aircraft, estimated at 5 acres. • 2300: Three-person hand crew arrived; initial assessment was that the fire had burned 3 to 8 acres in heavy timber. Flame lengths were 2 to 4 feet. • 2345: Engine 704 arrived. • 2359: Revised initial attack assessment by the Engine 704 supervisor: the fire had burned 20 to 25 acres. "It will grow, hit the slope, and get larger." USDA Forest Service Missoula Technology & Development Center

  19. Fire growth map showing the fire's origin and spot fires. USDA Forest Service Missoula Technology & Development Center

  20. Before Entrapment • Chronology: July 10 • 0000: Northwest Regular (NWR) crew 6 began to assemble at Leavenworth, WA. • 0000: Eleven members of the crew were from the Lake/Leavenworth Ranger District and 10 were from the Naches Ranger District; all were from the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. • 0000: Crew management consisted of a crew boss and a crew boss trainee. USDA Forest Service Missoula Technology & Development Center

  21. Before Entrapment • Chronology: July 10 • 0000: The majority of NWR crew 6 got just 1 or 2 hours of sleep before dispatch. • 0000: The Entiat interagency hotshot crew (IHC) was dispatched to the Thirtymile Fire. The Entiat crew had worked all day on another fire. Crewmembers had little sleep, if any, during the previous 30 hours. USDA Forest Service Missoula Technology & Development Center

  22. Before Entrapment • Chronology: July 10 • 0100: The Entiat crew arrived at the Thirtymile Fire. After a briefing by the initial attack incident commander (IC), the Entiat superintendent took over as IC. • 0100: All resources other than the Entiat crew were released. The Entiat crew began to take suppression action. • 0400: NWR crew 6 began the 3-hour drive to Twisp, WA. • 0700: NWR crew 6 arrived at Twisp and was assigned to the Thirtymile Fire. They were led to the fire by the forest and district fire management officers (FMOs). They did not have a map of the area. USDA Forest Service Missoula Technology & Development Center

  23. Before Entrapment • Chronology: July 10 • 0900: NWR crew 6 arrived at the Thirtymile Fire. The Entiat superintendent, NWR crew 6 management, and forest and district fire management officers (FMOs) discussed strategy. • 0900: District FMO requested that a barrier be placed on the road to keep the public from entering the area. • 0900+: NWR crew 6 crew boss took over as IC but retained his role as crew boss. The crew boss trainee conducted the crew briefing. USDA Forest Service Missoula Technology & Development Center

  24. Before Entrapment • Chronology: July 10 • 1100: Entiat crew went to a campground downcanyon from the fire to rest. NWR crew 6 began to take suppression action. • 1200: NWR crew 6 was unable to keep pumps operating. Crew boss trainee decided to change strategy and tactics. • 1200: NWR crew 6 began constructing indirect handline to pinch the head of the fire. Some crewmembers knew this was a "watchout situation." • 1300: Two civilians drove up the Chewuch River road past the fire to the Thirtymile campground. The road had not been closed as requested. USDA Forest Service Missoula Technology & Development Center

  25. Fire growth map showing the fire's origin and the fire area between 10 a.m. and 3:20 p.m. USDA Forest Service Missoula Technology & Development Center

  26. Before Entrapment • Chronology: July 10 • 1300: NWR crew 6 crewmember was sent to wake the Entiat crew and return them to the fire. • 1311: Air attack arrived over the fire. • 1400: The Entiat crew returned to the fire. • 1400+: Because of threatening fire behavior, the IC removed the crewmember serving as a lookout on the east side of the river. • 1430: Crew boss trainee suggested that the Entiat crew take over the fire. The Entiat foreman declined, saying: "This is nothing we want to mess with either. We did not have any anchor, spots everywhere. There wasn't anything we could do." USDA Forest Service Missoula Technology & Development Center

  27. Before Entrapment • Chronology: July 10 Conditions on the afternoon of July 10, from a representative weather station: • Temperature was about 101 °F. • Relative humidity was 4%. USDA Forest Service Missoula Technology & Development Center

  28. Before Entrapment • Chronology: July 10 • 1500: NWR crew 6 disengaged and took a break on the west side of the river next to the road. It was generally conceded that suppression efforts had been ineffective and that the fire would continue to grow. • 1500: District assistant fire management officer (AFMO) met with IC and crew boss trainee. AFMO asked IC if he was still comfortable as IC. The IC said he was. • 1500: AFMO suggested that it would be "nice" to keep the fire east of the road. USDA Forest Service Missoula Technology & Development Center

  29. Before Entrapment • Chronology: July 10 • 1517: Road closure sign was posted by Engine 704. • 1520: Fire began making uphill crowning runs on the east slope of the canyon. • 1530: Engines 701 and 704 arrived at the Thirtymile Fire. The foreman on engine 701 checked in with the incident commander and explained that the engines would proceed up the Chewuch River Canyon Road to patrol for spot fires. The engines drove past the crew on the road and started to work on spot fires about 1/4 mile up the canyon. USDA Forest Service Missoula Technology & Development Center

  30. Aerial photo showing the fire's origin and the spot where fire crossed the road. USDA Forest Service Missoula Technology & Development Center

  31. Before Entrapment • Chronology: July 10 • 1603: First Butte lookout reported that the fire column was forming a thunderhead (plume-dominated column with an ice cap). USDA Forest Service Missoula Technology & Development Center

  32. The plume-dominated Thirtymile Fire smoke column. USDA Forest Service Missoula Technology & Development Center

  33. Before Entrapment • Chronology: July 10 • 1603+: Shortly after arrival, Engine 701 called the IC and requested help to suppress a spot fire up the canyon from the main fire. Squad 1 of NWR crew 6 was assigned to support the engines. • 1603+: Within minutes after squad 1 arrived, Engine 701 drove down the canyon to work on other spot fires. USDA Forest Service Missoula Technology & Development Center

  34. Before Entrapment • Chronology: July 10 • 1620: Squad 2 of NWR crew 6 was called to support Engine 701 on another spot fire. • 1634: Fire on the canyon floor began making sustained torching runs in tree crowns. • 1634: Fire was actively spotting and was adjacent to the east side of the road. USDA Forest Service Missoula Technology & Development Center

  35. Aerial photo showing fuels where fire eventually crossed the road. USDA Forest Service Missoula Technology & Development Center

  36. Before Entrapment • Chronology: July 10 • 1634+: Squad 3 of NWR crew 6 was assigned to assist Engine 704. • 1634+: Within minutes of their arrival, squad 3 retreated down the canyon in their van. • 1634+: The Entiat crew superintendent advised the IC to get people out of the area. USDA Forest Service Missoula Technology & Development Center

  37. Fire growth map showing the fire's origin, the entrapment area, and the fire area between 3:20 and 4:40 p.m. USDA Forest Service Missoula Technology & Development Center

  38. Before Entrapment • Chronology: July 10 • 1634+: The IC and nine members of NWR crew 6 jumped in the other crew van and drove down the road. Four other crewmembers began running down the road on foot. • 1634+: All 14 crewmembers were cut off by fire on both sides of the road and could not retreat down the canyon. USDA Forest Service Missoula Technology & Development Center

  39. Fire crossing the road, with Engine 704 and Entiat IHC vehicles in the foreground. USDA Forest Service Missoula Technology & Development Center

  40. BETWEENENTRAPMENTANDDEPLOYMENT USDA Forest Service Missoula Technology & Development Center

  41. Aerial photo taken by air attack around the time of the entrapment. USDA Forest Service Missoula Technology & Development Center

  42. Aerial photo taken by air attack around the time of the entrapment. USDA Forest Service Missoula Technology & Development Center

  43. Between Entrapment and Deployment • The firefighters were entrapped; the road ended about 3 miles up the canyon. • They were unaware at this time that two civilians had also been entrapped. USDA Forest Service Missoula Technology & Development Center

  44. Between Entrapment and Deployment • Key Events: Entrapment • 1634+: After the fire cut off the van's retreat, the IC picked up the four crewmembers who were on foot. • 1634+: All 14 crewmembers drove up the canyon in the van. The IC evaluated four possible sites as potential safety zones. • 1634+: With the assistance of air attack, the IC selected a site where he felt "they could safely watch the fire pass them by." The chosen site was about 1 mile up the canyon from the area where the fire crossed the road. USDA Forest Service Missoula Technology & Development Center

  45. Aerial photo looking down the Chewuch River canyon toward the southwest. USDA Forest Service Missoula Technology & Development Center

  46. Between Entrapment and Deployment • The deployment area was characterized by rock scree above the road. • The Chewuch River and a sandbar were just below the road. USDA Forest Service Missoula Technology & Development Center

  47. Between Entrapment and Deployment • Forest vegetation was relatively sparse in this area. • On the east side of the river just down the canyon from the site, a rock slump created a wide fuel break. USDA Forest Service Missoula Technology & Development Center

  48. Aerial view of the deployment area. USDA Forest Service Missoula Technology & Development Center

  49. Between Entrapment and Deployment • Key Events: Entrapment • The firefighters arrived at the selected site about 30 minutes before the fire front. • Some firefighters were concerned that the site was not an adequate safety zone and that a deployment might be necessary. • Although they had time to prepare for a deployment, there was very little preparation. • The entrapped firefighters experienced different levels of anxiety about their situation. They "hung out" and "watched the show" as the fire approached. USDA Forest Service Missoula Technology & Development Center

  50. Photo taken by an entrapped crewmember watching the crown fire approach, looking downcanyon. USDA Forest Service Missoula Technology & Development Center

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